 Poster: A snowHead
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Apologies if this rehashes an ancient debate - I had a look but couldn't see a comparison. We're basically equidistant between Tamworth and Milton Keynes and I was wondering if one snowdome is particularly better than the other. We're just planning to go for some recreational skiing - I've had a course of lessons on our local dry slope and want to experience snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Anyone have comments on Hemel? That's my nearest fridge.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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tafflondon, Why don't you come along to Hemel on Saturday evening to see for yourself?
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There seem to be better Summer deals at Tamworth so whilst it is not so plush and in my experience has marginally poorer snow than MK it may give the best deal. Also, the lift at Tamworth is a little slower, but I quite like the bend there.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Fri 9-07-10 10:22; edited 2 times in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| tafflondon wrote: |
| Anyone have comments on Hemel? That's my nearest fridge. |
I've skied Tamworth, Milton Keynes and Hemel and I think Hemel is best by a large margin (although I accept that I might be a tad biased  ), mainly because of snow quality. It's very quiet on the slope at this time of year, especially weekday mornings if you have the flexibility to visit at that time (although avoid Fridays). There's also a two hours for the price of one promotion running at the moment, Monday-Thursday.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tamworth is cheap, very friendly and the bend adds interest. However, the snow tends to be rather hard and icy and the travelator lift takes an age. I've only been to MK once a very long time ago, and found it too busy (in October) and the snow was heavy and sticky. In terms of snow quality, the best I have been to are Hemel Hempstead and CFe in Manchester. Both significantly colder inside, but possibly shorter and wider slopes than Tamworth.
All much of a muchness really and whilst no substitute for a real mountain, it's still skiing on real snow and that always gets a thumbs up from me.
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lml82, I'd go to MK as it's bigger, longer and generally has much better snow. Imo the dogleg at Tamworth is an annoyance pure and simple, and the "snow" there is very hard.
tafflondon, Hemel is well run, pleasant, enjoyable and has generally good snow for rec skiers/boarders.
The snow in all domes fluctuates in quality due to snow-making, -grooming, -preserving issues, as well as with how heavily the slope is being used (and the snow in some domes is more resilient to use than the snow in others).
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Hemel......All the way!
Great slope, great snow, fantastic people, good bar and top snowsports school.
PSG
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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slikedges, MK is not longer than Tamworth, both are 170m.
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| Quote: |
There's also a two hours for the price of one promotion running at the moment
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Hemel has to get my vote as well, and I have to drive past MK to get there.
With the offer for two hours for the price of one, then if you want to ski longer than two hours, they would not do four hours for the price of two!! Then I found that you just had to buy two sessions with a 15 mins break and you got 4 hours for the price of two. Hope that all makes sense 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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queen bodecia, as someone who used to work in Brum and also spent way too much time at MK, I would say MK is longer. If you've looked up somewhere eg scuk that they're both 170m I'd make the point that ski slope length is like d--- length ie there's a lot of c--- talked about it. And once you're at a level to want a bit of speed and flow, the bend at Tam is most inconvenient, if not potentially dangerous.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| gilleski wrote: |
Hemel......All the way!
Great slope, great snow, fantastic people, good bar and top snowsports school.
PSG |
Spam
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slikedges,
I know sod all about snow domes. Been in twice - once on course at manchester and again to make a prat of myself (telemark on my face) at Hemel.
Anyway why don'y they build them longer ?
Say it cost £10 per foot to build em (bit more I would think). But once once all the machinery has been paid for would it cost that much more to make em bigger, would it?. Say on the side of a hill.
Just a thought, hemel looked to be on a little hill though.
Surely there must be a spare hill side somewhere in the UK.
What would be the extra cost to say make a 500m slope ?
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You know it makes sense.
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Wayne, dunno, dunno, yep, yep, dunno. Basically I do think the same, and have asked similar questions, but don't really know the answers.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Wayne, At Hemel they used all the land they had available (it's located on the same site as the old dry slope) and I don't think the local council would give permission for another site.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
What would be the extra cost to say make a 500m slope
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I am no expert but guess that the cost of running has something to do with it as well. 
Most Indoor slopes have the entrance at the base, bottom, of the slope, this has always seamed a bit mad to me as cold air is denser and therefore falls out of the bottom of the slope via the doors.
IMHO better to have the entrance at the top of the slope rather than the bottom??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I like the bend at Tamworth, it adds a bit of interest. After all real mountains are not straight and with a continuous width. But hey, each to their own.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yep, Tamworth is fine and the bend adds to the fun! (plus gets you used to coming round a corner and finding a snowboarder sitting downright in the middle of the slope  !) Ok after seeing what the folks on the EoSB described as icy I now know while people say Tamworth is icy! But that said I had a far easier time of learning to deal with the afternoon slush while thinking early morning conditions were perfect than the other low hours skiers who were used to softer stuff had learning to deal with the early morning icy!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks guys. Hemel is too far for us sadly, but it's good to know about the differences between the other two.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
| I like the bend at Tamworth, it adds a bit of interest |
Yes!
Tammy is my favourite too.
Not being able to see the bottom of the slope makes it much more exciting. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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They're supposed to be building a new indoor slope called SnOasis in Suffolk, will be 415m long.
Not sure if it's actually happening or not though.
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I haven't skied at Milton Keynes but if Tamworth and Milton Keynes are equidistant for you then I'd say go to Milton Keynes. I've seen the slope there and I'd say the snow looked a lot better than the 'snow' at Tamworth. Damn that surface is hard at Tamworth! I broke my wrist there just like that in a relatively innocuous fall when learning to board there, I'm convinced had I fallen on any other snowdome surface or on a real piste it wouldn't have broken, would have probably just sprained as the snow would have 'given' a bit if you see what I mean. I think it was just because the surface there is that hard with a light dusting of snow crystals on it, it was like falling on concrete!
Hemel I've been to once and the snow was so much better in every respect, with lumpy bits in places and everything just like the real thing is (or as close to the real thing as it could be).
musehead, think they've been on about that SnOasis thing for an age though haven't they?
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Have skied a fair bit at both tamworth and MK...Tamworth much icier, and we have had issues when we've picked the wrong day and have come around the bend to find a ski lesson strung out across the slope, which can get a bit sporting (and sometimes quite dangerous). I think that MK is marginally better if you can live with the parking charges....but I'd go to the one that was doing the best deals on the day as there's not that much in it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Only skied MK once, but Tamworth many times. I would say that MK probably is better in most respects, but I still prefer Tamworth. MK is a little too sanitised for my liking, whereas Tamworth is craptastic.
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MK
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I prefer Tamworth. The lift might be slow but there are far less stops so the end result is quicker - I think. I also like the bend. On the days I went I preffered the snow in Tamworth.
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